This was an ugly one.
Offense was optional Tuesday in the Washington Wizards’ 74-58 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in their 2025 NBA Summer League matchup at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Missing most of its main weapons, the Wizards could not find any reliable source of scoring in the contest.
Washington got off to a promising 9-0 start after Liam Robbins hit a couple of threes early. Eight of the Wizards’ first nine shots were from distance, with the team going 4/8 in those attempts.
The hot shooting proved to be unsustainable as the Wiz went 2/22 from three the rest of the way. The only thing that kept Washington in the game was how ice-cold the Sixers also were from the field. The two teams combined to shoot 45/133 (33.8%).
AJ Johnson was suddenly thrust into the first-option role. He also struggled with his outside shot, going 1/7 from deep. But he still found ways to score a game-high 20 points on a 7/20 clip. He also had a few tough-luck misses on layups right at the rim.
Johnson was Washington’s lone source of offense in the fourth quarter. He put up all 11 of the Wizards’ points as the 76ers ran away with it late.
Jamir Watkins, who looked very raw offensively, was able to flash his immense defensive potential. He had several pick-six steals that led to easy transition points. He tied a Summer League record with eight swipes to go along with his 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three blocks.
Watkins also did an excellent job defending No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe. The Sixers rookie had an inefficient night, going 4/14 for 15 points.
The Wizards face the Utah Jazz next in a back-to-back scheduled for Wednesday.